Veil Vignettes W hen media personality Star Jones wed Al Reynolds in 2004, she held the title of the bride with the longest veil at 27 feet, more than 2 feet longer than Diana’s veil when she married Prince Charles. Like other elements of Ms. Jones’ overthe-top wedding, which featured 60 bridal attendants, the veil was a stunner — encrusted with crystals and topped by a diamond tiara fashioned from a 19th century necklace. The couple didn’t hold the record for the longest marriage though, divorcing in 2008. he record for the world’s longest bridal veil is for a veil worn by Elena de Angelis for her 2011 wedding to Ferdinand Pucci. The veil was 1.8 miles or 3 kilometres long. Six hundred people carried the veil through the streets of Naples as the bride, riding in an open top vintage car, travelled to the church. The veil included 3.7 miles of white silk and was 2 metres wide. T A fter an Arab ambassador and his fiancée signed their marriage contract, according to Gulf News, he raised her veil and was shocked to discover that she had a beard and was cross-eyed, looking very different from the photographs sent to his family from her parents, which were apparently of her more attractive sister. The woman had reportedly worn a niqab throughout their courtship which led the groom to tell the court that he was deceived and therefore was entitled to an immediate annulment. BRIDE: Kylene Batin PHOTO: wMac Photography | wmacphotography.com he veil’s the thing...or at least it was for the cheeky wedding of Melanie and René Schachner in Feldkirchen, Austria. This was a stripped-down wedding for the bride and groom who choose minimal attire for their nuptials. According to reports including The Daily Mail, the bride wore a flesh-coloured thong and white high heels along with a knee-length sheer veil and the groom carried a top hat which was strategically placed for wedding photos. Guests were fully clothed for the register-office service and the reception that followed at a nearby castle. WE T choosing a blusher, be sure that when it is lifted for that breathtaking bridal kiss, it will sit back nicely. Other Drop Veils that also sit close to the head and fall over the face, can be of various lengths and shapes. • Birdcage Veils are small veils that may only partially cover the face. They can be worn at many different angles and manipulated to create fullness or worn close to the head. They can be worn alone or with feathers, flowers, bows or other embellishments. • Mantilla Veils originated in Spain, where women tend to wear them over high combs. Often trimmed in lace, here these singletier, non-gathered veils are worn flat to the head. They can be long or short and range from informal through extremely elegant. TRENDS Traditional veils are making a strong comeback. Bridal experts cite the influence of the not-so-long ago marriage of Kate and William, with her wearing a mid-length silk tulle veil with a delicate lace edging of hand embroidered flowers. One trend is to ultrasheer fabrics that let the beauty of the bride and her bridal gown shine through in silhouettes that are elegantly simple. Veils might be minimally gathered and worn back on the head. Circle veils with a blusher that can fall to mid-bodice and pulled back later are also making headway. Cathedral-length veils are on trend too. Extending far behind the bride’s gown, this veil is suitable for indoor weddings that are very formal. Dealing with the yards of material involved is a task for bridal attendants. If you’re tempted to go for this look for an outdoor wedding, consider factors like breezes and terrain or objects where the veil could catch. Embellishments are the new order of the day. Exquisite lace accents or edging, crystal or pearl embellishments, rhinestones, bugle beads, embroidery — all are possibilities. Whether as individual accents, edging or scattered throughout the veil, the key is “icing on the cake”. WE 96 Wedding Essentials 2013